Vanderjagt, thrift store T-shirts

Players on the bubble at training camp will be keeping a close eye on Mike Vanderjagt.

Specifically, they’ll be watching how he does when he kicks off. If he faulters, the Cowboys will be forced to burn a roster spot on a kickoff specialist, something Bill Parcells and the bubble players are praying doesn’t happen.

Parcells doesn’t like to waste spots. That’s one of the reasons he wants versatile players who aren’t afraid to multitask. If you’re a guard who can play center, Parcells is on your side. If you’re a safety who can play corner, Parcells has got your back. If you’re a tight end who excels at special teams, he’s likely to write you into his will.

But if you’re placekicker who can’t kick off, you better steer clear of Big Bill, who values field position like a working stiff values his/her 401K.

Although he hasn’t kicked off regularly in two years, Vanderjagt says he can handle the chore. Parcells wants him to prove it, which is why kicker Shaun Suisham will spend at least at least a couple of months with the team.

Vanderjagt, who received a signing bonus of $2.5 million in the offseason, has a history of rubbing his teammates the wrong way. That trend may continue if a worthy player gets caught up in a numbers game because of Vanderjagt’s deficiencies.

The observation deck

&#8226 Summer – at least for me – officially ended Wednesday. It’s back to work today, covering the Cowboys arrival via team charter at Point Mugu Naval Base south of Oxnard.

My last day off started with a trip to Ventura’s Main Street, a busy lane packed with an abundance of non-chain restaurants (many of them winners) and other locally-owned businesses, including several thrift stores. If you like thrift stores, California is the place to be because there are tons of them. My favorite is the Salvation Army store on Washington Boulevard in Culver City. Upon entering, the manager tells you right away: “No credit cards, no checks, no drama.”

Fair enough. But, really, who needs a credit card or a check when most of the T-shirts go for 99 cents? (A great bargain, considering many of the same shirts are priced for $20 or more at some of the trendier shops in West L.A.) This year, I bought a red shirt emblazoned with “Franklin School, Santa Monica, Calif.” in black letters. I wore it this morning to breakfast at the Ventura Beach Marriott and was promptly asked by one of my fellow diners if I was “a parent.” After answering no, she explained that one of her friends teaches at The Franklin School, which apparently is one of the top elementary schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. I assured her I would wear the shirt with pride, but after Googling the school and finding the following 2002 story on Foxnews.com, I’m starting to wonder about the wisdom of the folks who run it:

SANTA MONICA — A Santa Monica elementary school has banned the game of tag, once synonymous with youth and innocence, because they say it creates self-esteem issues among weaker and slower children.

“We had some children who were not playing ‘it’ appropriately. How do you differentiate between those that are playing correctly and those that aren’t?” asked Franklin Elementary School Principal Pat Samarge.

In the school’s weekly newsletter, Samarge told parents that without adult supervision, the game would be banned. The principal said children playing tag suffered both physical and emotional injuries.

“Little kids were coming in and saying ‘I don’t like it.’ [The] children weren’t feeling good about it,” Samarge said.

Dr. Judy Young, executive director of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, disagreed with Samarge, saying that games like tag “are organized to have a winner and a loser,” which is simply a part of life.

“Self-esteem should not be imbedded in whether you win or lose a game,” Young said.

Tamara Silver, a parent of a fifth-grader at Franklin Elementary School, said the school sent her two letters informing her of the new rules. The second letter cited safety concerns, not issues of self-image, to justify the tag ban.

Although I agree with Dr. Young and find Samarge’s decision laughable, I’m still going to wear my shirt with pride. Tag or no tag, The Franklin School has cool T-shirts.

&#8226 Although Mrs. O and I didn’t find any worthy T-shirts at the Ventura thrift stores, we did find a good place to eat. Franky’s on 456 E. Main St. makes a mean tuna melt that includes Swiss cheese and tomatoes. Try it on sourdough. The cost comes in at just slightly under $7 (which also gets you either a salad or cup of soup).

For dinner, we returned to an old favorite. Eric Ericsson’s on the Ventura Pier has some of the freshest seafood you’ll find anywhere and stunning views of the ocean. If you time it just right, you can catch an awesome panoramic sunset. Like at Franky’s, we had no complaints about the food. My poached local sea bass was melt-in-your mouth tasty. Mrs. O had the fish tacos (a favorite ever since she tried them while we were in San Diego for the Super Bowl a few years ago).

In between lunch and dinner, we spent a couple of hours at the San Buenaventura State Beach. All in all, it was a perfect way to end the summer.